Eagles flop in opener

Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist

Posted:
Sunday, September 12, 2010, 7:37 PM

Put it this way: the Eagles could not have written a darker, more wretched start to their 2010 season -- not without a pharmaceutical assist, anyway.

Quarterback Kevin Kolb played a bad first half and then suffered a concussion. Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley also suffured a concussion. Fullback Leonard Weaver reportedly tore his ACL, which would end his season. Center Jamaal Jackson, whose knee was worrying everybody, instead messed up his elbow and was forced out of the game.

And on and on it went, in a 27-20 defeat to the Green Bay Packers. Even if Michael Vick made things interesting/entertaining by running for more than 100 yards and leading the Eagles to 17 second-half points, there is no way to spin this one in a positive way. It was awful.

How could the offense have been so bad with Kolb in there? His numbers in two quarters: 5-for-10 for 24 yards, and with only a field goal to show for his time -- and, to be fair, that was set up by a big Vick scramble.

How could Kolb and Bradley both talk their way back onto the field after suffering their concussions? Bradley tried to stand up after hitting his helmet against teammate Ernie Simms' knee and then fell again like the Flyers' Sami Kapanen in that Flyers player game several years ago against Toronto. Yet he missed only three plays before returning. As for Kolb, he was driven into the turf by the Packers' Clay Matthews, looked woozy, and was described as having a jaw injury -- but he also returned for a three-and-out series near the end of the second quarter. It was only after halftime that the concussions were announced in the press box.

How could the defense, which really played pretty well in the first half, go so completely soft at times in the second half without Bradley?

What will they do at fullback without Weaver -- assuming the ominous reports are true? There isn't another true fullback on the roster, after all.

And what about Vick? He was anything but efficient or consistent -- but he rambled and rollicked the Eagles back into the ballgame against the Packers, and there is no denying that.

When might Kolb be back?

And Bradley?

And can they keep this mess from carrying over into next week against the Lions?

Rich Hofmann arrived at the Daily News in 1980 for a job whose status was officially designated as "full-time, temporary." A senior at Penn at the time, he was hired to fill in on the copy desk during a staff illness. The notion of him covering the Eagles or being a columnist did not exist in anyone's imagination. It was supposed to be six weeks and out, but he never left. It is only one of the reasons why so many people have concerns about him as a potential house guest. Rich has blogged the postseasons of the Flyers and Eagles. E-mail Rich at hofmanr@phillynews.com
Reach Rich at hofmanr@phillynews.com.